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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet. 1.

L. H. OONVERSE.

MACHINE FOR BUNDLING WOOD. No. 302,895. v Patented Aug. 5, 1884.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-$heet 2.

- L. H. CONVERSE.

MACHINE FOR BUNDLING W001). No. 302,895. Patented Aug. 5, 1884.

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LEWVIS H. CON VERSE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MACHINEFOR BUNDLING WOOD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 302,895, dated August5, 1884:.

Application filed December 11, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS H. Convnnsn, St. Louis, Missouri, have made anew and useful Improvement in Machines for Bundling Kindling-"Wood, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in sec tion, of the improvedmachine; Fig. 2, aplan, portions being broken away to exhibit the interior; Fig. 3, a vertical cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig.4c, avertical longitudinal section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 5; Fig.vertical cross-section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6, a plan of the end of the shiftinglever;

shaft a, so as to be thrown into engagement either with the pulley A orthe pulley A, as desired, and when thus thrown into engagement themotion is transmitted from the put ley in engagement through the clutchto the shaft a, causing the shaft to rotate in the direction which thepulley is being driven. The shaft (6 is provided with a pinion, A whichengages with the gear 0 upon the shaft 0. This last-named shaft 0 isprovided with a barrel, 0', upon which is wound the chain D, Figs. 1, 2.This chain leads to a cross-head, E, Figs. 1, 2, which is adaptedto bemoved forward and backward upon the guides e 6.l Ropes, preferablywireropes F F, are attached to the cross-head, and lead thence backwardthrough what may be termed the former G. This former supports the stickswhich are to be bundled, and is an aid in forming the bundle. The ropeswithin the former are coiled, as shown at f f, Figs. 1, 2, and from theregion of the former the ropes F F are extended still farther in themachine, and are finally connected with a cross-head, f, Figs. 1, 2. Achain, H, carrying a weight, it, is attached to the cross-head).

The operation of the machine as thus far described is as follows: Theproper number of sticks to form a bundle are placed in what may betermed the holder 1, Figs. 7, 8. This holder is adapted to receive thesticks J substantially as shown in Fig. 7. To this end the holder issemi-cylindrical in its gen eral outline, is open at its farther end i,and

to enable the sticks to be readily placed in,

the\holder is open at the top t". It is also provided with a handle, Itsend t can be closed by means of the plate f. The holder, filled with thesticks and having the plate 1' inserted, as in Fig. 7, is inserted inthe machine as follows: The holder is passed endwise through the coilsff in the ropes F F. The former G, Fig. 1, is suitably shaped out at g,to permit of the introduction of the holder into the coils. The ends ofthe sticks J come against the plate Figs. 2, 4, 5. The holder 1 is thenwithdrawn from the machine, during which movement the end plate "5*prevents the sticks from being held by friction in the holder as thelatter is withdrawn--that is, while the holder is being withdrawn theplate 1' remains in the former and keeps the sticks in place within thecoils ff until the holder is entirely withdrawn therefrom. The plate 2"may then be withdrawn or may be allowed to drop from the region of theformer. The sticks J are now within the coils ff of the ropes F F, andare ready to be compressed and tied. The clutch B B, by means of theshifting-lever B, Figs. 1, 2, is thrown into engagen ent with the pulleyA, which pulley is driven in the proper direction to cause the chain Dto be wound upon the barrel 0. As the chain is wound the cross-headE andropes F F are drawn toward the barrel 0'. The weighted chain H resiststhe action of the chain 1), and in consequence the coils f f of theropes F F are contracted upon the bundle of sticks, and the Varioussticks of the bundle are compacted together. As the coils are thustightened upon the bundle the coils not only contract, but are drawnaround the bundle, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. From I thewinding of the chain D. In this mannerthis fact the various stickscomposing the bundle J are rolled upon each other and, in consequenceworked closer together and the bundle made much more compact and solidthan if the coils were simply tightened upon the bundle.

K represents the band used in tying the bundle. It is preferably a pieceof wire, and it is placed in position in the former Gr, preferablybefore the sticks are inserted. After the coils have been tightened andthe bundle suitably compacted, the ends of the wire are drawn around thebundle and tied. The bundle is now ready to be removed from the ma-.chine. To this end the clutch is shifted upon the shaft a, so as to bedisengaged from the.

pulley A and to be thrown into engagement with the pulley A. The pulleysA A are supposed to be rotated in contrary directions by means of beltssuitably applied thereto. The motion is now transmitted from the pulleyA to the barrel The aim and effect of this is to slacken the chain Dupon the barrel 0, and allow of the cross-head E being moved backwardupon the slides e c. A weighted chain, L, which passes over the pulleyZ, Fig. l, and is attached to the cross-head E, acts, whenever thecross-headEis free to be moved backward, to draw the cross-head backwardupon theslides e c. This serves to move the ropes F F backward, andthereby to enlarge the coils f f sufficientlyfor them to become free ofthe bundle J, which can now be withdrawn from the coils and former. Theweighted chain H at thesame time acts to draw the farther ends of theropes F F backward into their original positions. The main object,however, in attaching the rear ends of the ropes FF to this weightedchain is to thereby provide a yielding rather than a fixed .resistance,for in compacting the bundle it has been found desirable to have theropes at their farther ends yield somewhat. This end is further at-'tained by allowing the cross-head f to come against the'upright barM,which in turn bears against and compresses the springsN N as the ropesare drawn forward. Further, in order to prevent the chain Dfrom suddenlyjerking the ropes F F, the chain is not attached directly to thecross-head E, but, by means of the head (I, Fig. 2, the chain is made tobear first against a yielding partsuch as a piece of rubber, (1', heldwithin the case d The case (2 is attached to the cross-head E, and whenthe chain D is drawn, the rubber d yields to a limited extent before thestrain comes upon the cross-head E. In this manner the force is appliedgradually to the ropes F F.

Several details of construction will now be noticed. The bar M isextended downward for the following purpose: The shifting-lever B isbeveled at b, Figs. 1, 6. When the ropes F F are tightened, the bar atis drawn with them, and its lower end encounters the bevel 6 upon thelever B and causes the lever to move and shift the clutch, and therebyarrest the ropes F F are automatically prevented from beingovertightened. The arm M is furnished with afriction-roller, m. Themachine is started by means of the pedal, which causes the lever 0, Fig.3, to turn on its bearingo and move the lever B By depressing the pedal0 the lever O is caused to draw the cord 0, which passes around thesheaves o 0 to the lever O. This causes the shifting-lever to be movedin the opposite direction-that is, in the same direction in which it ismoved by the bar M-and the machine is stopped. When the ropes F F havebeen sufficiently tightened around the bundle, and it is desired to holdthem in that position, the operator, by means of the lever P, operates africtionbrake, P, upon a drum, c", upon the shaft 0. The ropes are thusheld tight around the bundle until the, tying is completed, whereuponthe operator throws the lever I? out of the rack 10, Figs. 1, 2, andreleases the hold upon the shaft 0. He then starts the machine again bydepressing the'pedal O, as described. The

plate 3/, against which the ends of the sticks of the bundle J presswhilein the machine, is pivoted at 9, Figs. 4., 5. This enables thebundle to readily-turn round with the coils f f as the ropes are beingtightened upon the bundle. I

The principal features of the abovedescribed improvement are thecontracting of the bundle of sticks by means of the rope-coils, the useof the frame or former in which the bundle is shaped as the coils aretightened upon it, the turning around or rolling of the sticks upon eachother as the bundle is being contracted, and the employment of ayielding resistance at the farther end of the tighteningropes. Each ofthese features can be employed without necessarily employing inconjunction therewith the other features; but the frame or former G isof use, first, in receiving the loose sticks as they are placed in themachine; and, secondly, in aiding and holding a the sticks in place andshaping the bundle as it is being compacted by means of the ropes. It isalso practicable to compact the bundle without rolling the sticks uponeach other, as described. The bundle, however, is made more compactandfirmer by rolling the bundle and the sticks upon each other as thecoils are tightened; and to provide for this the farther end of the endsof the ropes should not be attached to a fixed bearing, but so that theycan yield somewhat. The weighted chain H provides such an attachment,and it is also useful, as previously stated, in that it operates as aspring in preventing the ropes from being strained.

I claim- 1. In combination with a machine for bundling kindling-wood,the semi-cylindrical holder I, open at its end i and at the top 1', andprovided with the plate 43, 'as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of a semi-cylindrical wood-holder, I, open at its end2' and top z", and having handle '6 with the end plate i substantiallyas set forth.

3. In combination with the former G Gand the ropes F E, having coils ff,operated as described, for the purpose of receiving and shaping the woodinto bundles, the semi-cylindrical holder I, as described, whereby thewood is readily deposited in said frame,while the holder is easilyremoved therefrom.

4. I11 a machine for bundling kindlingwood, the former G G, adapted toreceive the wood to be bundled, provided with encircling ropes operatedat each end, as set forth, whereby the bundle is suitably shaped, andhaving end plate 9, against which the sticks come, all as set forth.

5. The combination of the barrel 0, the chain D over it, the head (I, towhich the end of said chain is attached, the rubber d, and the head E,the bundle-former G G, and the ropes F F, whereby the binding force isapplied gradually to the said ropes, all as set forth.

6. In combination with the former G and the chain D, and the ropes F F,having coils f and their operative mechanism, the head f and theweighted chain H, attached thereto, whereby with yielding resistance thecoils are tightened on the bundle, causing the sticks to turn around andcompact together closely upon each other, substantially as described.

7. In combination with the formers G G, the pivoted plate 9, at the rearpart thereof, against which the sticks of the bundle press while in theprocess of being formed.

8. In a kindling-wood-bundling machine, the weighted chain L, passingover pulley Z. and attached to the cross-head E, combined with thebundle-encircling ropes F I*, having coils f f, the bundle-former G G,whereby when the bundles are tied the ropes F E are moved backward andthe coils f f are enlarged for the reception of a new deposit of sticks,substantially as described.

9. In a machine as described for bundling kindling-wood, the combinationof the bundle-encircling ropes F F, having coils ff, and operated asdescribed, and bundlef0rmers G G, whereby the bundle is shaped with thelever P, the friction-brake 1?, operating upon the drum 0 on the shaft0, whereby the ropes F can be caused to hold tight around the bundleafter it has been tied and until the tying has been completed, all asset forth.

LEWVIS H. CONVERSE. \Vitnesses:

O. D. MOODY, O. E. HUNT.

